Display panel assembly



June 26, 1962 J. H. KOCH DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 51, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 26, 1962 J. H. KOCH DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1960 T Eifi m u 1: E1751 5 H i i Ir This invention relates to display panels, such as animated panels for training "persons in the operation of, or enabling visual monitoring of, conditions associated with various systems and processes, such as fluid flow systems in chemical plants,gas and oiltransmission systems,

electrical transmission and distribution systems, missile control and monitoringsystenis, aviation, railway and other transportation or trailic systems, and the like. Shown'in my prior Patent No. 2,952,079 issuedSepternher 13, 1960, is a display panel assembly 'comprisinga light-transmissive front panel having a network of crossed opaque strips mounted on its b-ackto form a plurality of compartments, with light bulbsmounted to illuminate individual compartments. By selectively switching lights-in accordance with conditions being displayed, indicated or v simulated, the display becomes animated,so that understanding and analysis ofthe system operation illustrated or displayed is facilitated. Since one 'or more light bulbs may be mounted on the edges of each'compartment merely by clipping them on, and because such bulbs may be re- 3,040,444 Patented June 26, 1962 .semblies have included the fact that such panelsmay be mounted on simple and light supports and the fact that large panels, self-supported or supported by light frames, may be constructed economically- In panels constructed according to my prior inventions, I

the complete length of each' thin, straight, compartmentdefining strip butted against the translucent front panel, substantially completely sealing ofieach compartment and preventing the passage of light from one compartment to the inside'of any adjacent compartment. 'ltis desirable in many animated display applications to'provide pluralities of adjacent lighted compartments all iighted at the same time and with exactly the same color and all atthe-sarne intensity. I For example, a row of six successive compartments'might be required to be all lighted the same color to indicate that fluid of the color shown was being pumped along a certain line. Y partinents may differ slightly or greatly in age, or coloring,

' or intensity, or othercharacte'ri'stic's,the six-compartment with slightly dark lines between-them. .Such lines, dis-.

continuities, and changes in shade and intensity, are sometimes regarded as very distracting. By careful selection of located or replaced or removed by simply pulling them an,

the replacement ofan'y one of the usually large number of light bulbsfor purposes of maintenance,- and any desired alteration of the panel display, in the event of amissile system modification, forexample, may be accomplished much more easily thaniwith other prior display panels.

By use of anetwork of interfitting, thin flexible metal strips mounted on a' thin, flexible light-transmissive plastic sheet,

as shown in my prior patent, an economical rigid assembly which has great strength for its light weight, may be produced.

My copending application Serial Number 820,479 rhea- June 15, 1959, now PatentNo. 2,985,968, for Display Device and Method for Making the Same discloses fur.-

' yet economical and lightweight assembly of, a type ideal for animated display panels; Both of my prior inventions light'bulbs it is usually possible to obtain acceptable unif- Since the light bulbs in thesix comformity of color and intensity, but the-presence of the 7 metal strips, no matter how thin, against the translucent 7 plural adjacent compartments canbe' caused to appear blended together into single areas,. withoutdistractingdiscontinuities. is an auxiliary object of the invention to have been used widely and successfully, and panels con-v structed according to these inventions are marketed under application.

a now Patent No. 3,025,613, by CharlesR. Mitchell for Display Device, which application is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses a novel arrangement for mounting relatively heavy and bulky as: semblies on the rear side of-panels constructed according to my above-mentioned inventions. With the ever-increasing complexity of technological systems, it becomes increasingly desirable to be able to mount more complex and heavier equipment on the back of animated display panels, unavoidably increasing the weight of the complete assembly. It is highly desirable not, to a decrease the strength or rigidity of such panels in view of the everincreasing rigidity requirements. Furthermore, the principal advantages of the ModularCell display panel as- ,50 the trademark Modular Cell bythe assignee ofthis provide an improved construction of the typedescribed sharp, discrete light boundaries, and changes of light intensity and color at d'sired boundary lines It is a'further object of the invention to provide such a construction which nevertheless allows provision, when desired, of-

.after set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indi cated in the claims.

f the invention-reference should. be had to /the, following detailed description taken in connection with the accompartying drawings, in which:

1G. '1 is an isometric view, of the rear of an improved panel constructed in accordance with the present invention, prior to the mounting of lights or other equipmentthereonj FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to 'FIG. 1 in which the network of interfitting opaque strips is shown to reveal the details of individual strips; FiG. 3 shows a portion of apanel constructedaccording to the present invention in which a detachable light dam is inserted; a 1

FIG. 4 is a front view of a portion of apanel constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows an alternative form of strip constructed in,

accordance with the invention; and

separated FIG. 6 illustrates a light dam of the nature which may be used with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the improved panel construction is shown as including a light-transmissive front sheet 11, which may consist of a frost-coated glass or plastic, or, preferably, a sheet made of glass fibers impregnated with a cured thermosetting resin, Fiberglas sheet having been found to be eminently suitable. A network of thin, flexible, opaque, interfitting strips is shown fastened to the rear side of panel 11 by means of the technique shown in more detail and claimed in my abovementioned copending application. Each thin flat strip is a straight metallic member having parallel inner and outer edges. As shown in my prior copending application, each strip may comprise an aluminum or aluminum base alloy, or stainless steel or the like and may be knurled along at least part of its inner and outer edges. As best seen in FIG. 2 strip 15 is knurled along its inner edge 16, its outer edge 17 and along a middle band 18. Knurling along inner edge 16, which is contiguous to panel 11 when the panel is assembled, allows a transparent thermosetting resin which is poured onto sheet 11 to grip each strip more securely. The front or inner edges 16, 16 of all strips lie against the back of transparent sheet 11, and the rear or outer edges 17, 17 ofall strips 15, 15 lie in another common plane and present a' network of exposed edges 17, 17 upon which various devices may bemounted, as will be described in more detail below. The thin strips intersect each other at substantial angles, and, in fact, in most embodiments of the invention the strips comprise two groups of mutually perpendicular strips, providing intersections ofthe nature shown. Transverse slots 19 are provided in each strip to engage mating transverse slots in other strips, so that all strips may interfit and be positioned against the back surface of translucent sheet 11. It will be seen that each compartment defined by the thin strips is closed on one end, its front end, by the front panel 1'1, and open on its rear end.

As mentioned above, the inner edges 16, 16 of the strips are knurled, or else the surface is roughened or made irregular in equivalent fashion. Disposed on the rear side of panel 11 is a layer 20 of hardenable translucent plastic, such as a hardened thermosetting or thermoplastic resin, one cured epoxide resin which has been found particularly suitable being the condensation product of bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin. While the composition of the material may vary in different embodiments, it is important that the material be at least translu cent, and rigid at the temperatures contemplated for operation of the panel.

As described in more detail in my abovementioned copending application, the liquid epoxide resin (such as Epon 828 sold by Shell Corporation), together with-a curing agent, metaphenylene diamine, may be poured on a front sheet to a depth of approximately to 4; inch, and then a network of previously interfitted strips is lowered onto the sheet, so that some of the knurling along inner edges 16 is immersed in liquid resin 20. Vibration, at a fairlyhigh frequency then will aid the resin 20 to surround inner edges 16, 16 of the thin strips, thereby to form fillets, 22, 22 as shown, which considerably strengthen the bond between the strips and the front sheet. Vibration, which tends to form the fillets, usually k is not applied until the entire network of strips is lowered onto the light-transmissive front panel, and the fillets are shown in FIG. 2, wherein the entire network has not been shown in place, merely for convenience of explanation. The particular epoxide resin referred to, after vibration to form fillets, then requires baking at an ele vated temperature in order to set.

As mentioned in my previous application, knurling is provided along the outer edges 17, 17 of strips 15, -15 as well as along the inner edges, not only to prevent the The assembly, as thus far described, is completely disclosed in my abovementioned prior Patent No. 2,952,- 079 and in copending application Serial Number 820,- 479, and the improvements which form the subject matter of the present invention now will be specified in detail. Centered longitudinally between each pair of adjacent partial transverse slits 19, 19 in each thin strip an archway area 24 has been cut out, each archway, or cutaway portion, extending from the inner edge 16 of the strip 15 transversely approximately halfway across the strip. Each archway or cutaway portion 24 widens from its apex at 25 near the center of its associated strip to a maximum width near the outer surface of resin layer 20, and then narrows sharply, providing widened footlike strip edge portions 26, 26 to seat against front panel 11. The longer the foot, i.e. the longer the edge 26 of the strip not cut away, the better the strip network is anchored to the front panel, but on the other hand, the narrower the passageway between compartments will be, and hence the narrower the visible portions of the display will be. To further insure a secure bonding of the strip network to the front panel a series of small holes 21, 21 may be provided along the inner edge 16 of each strip. Each hole 21 is located near enough to the inner edge 16 of each strip to allow flow of resin 20 through each hole 21 when the strip network is lowered onto panel 11.

It may now be apparent from the foregoing that provision of the cut-out archways 24, 24 allows the illumination within one compartment to blend into the illumination of all of its adjacent compartments, thereby allowing provision of a continuous flow of light through plural compartments, without the distracting cross lines heretofore obtained at compartment walls, and it has been found that providing such archways does not detract materially from the strength and rigidity of an assembled panel. Light flowing from one compartment through an open archway area or passageway to a second compartment will not uniformly light the second compartment. It should be apparent that light passing through any. archway will tend not to illuminate those corners of the second compartment nearest the archway, and hence the corner portions of the compartments will tend to be poorly lighted. The feet 26, 26 or inner edges 16, 16 of strips 15, 15 contact the front panel 11 near the strip intersections, or corners of the compartments formed. By masking front panel 111 to cover where the strip edges contact the front panel the compartment corners also are masked out, leaving only light pathways in line with the passageways defined by the archways, and since these pathways are unfettered by any strip edges, the light flow along unmasked portions of the panel is continuous and without distractions or shadows.

It is necessary, however, to provide simulated flow lines which bend or turn, and also frequently necessary to provide discrete boundaries which separate different colors and/or different light intensities, so that it becomes necessary frequently to provide compartment walls with continuous inner edges, in the manner of my previous applications, and it is not economical to provide or to stock a large variety of special strips having partly archways and having continuous edges in particular special locations. The invention, however, allows efficient and economic provision of an effective light dam in the manner shown in FIG. 3, so that all strips may be provided with archways when fabricated, and the archways dammed later where necessary. Wherever such a dam is desired, an essentially rectangular opaque metal or plastic piece of proper size readily may be fastened into place. Light dam 30 is shown in detail in FIG. 6. In

' ing any permanent change in' the basic structure.

FIG. 3 metal plate 30, when place, extends from the surface of the hardened epoxide 20 to be flush with the outer edges 17 of the assembled metal strips, and corners 31,31 of the plate are tailored approximately to fit the fillets 22, 22 located at the strip intersections. It will be seen that such dam plates are extremely simple andcheap to provide, and that they are quick and easy to mount or detach. The clip-type of light bulb mounting shown of their edges cut away as shown," and detachable light darn plates may be used to cover any light passageways it becomes desirable to block. In FIG. 2 it will be seen that two different types of strips need be made and kept in stock, one being the type having its transverse slots facing the inner edge 16, the same as its archways, and the other being. the type which has its transverse slots disposed along the opposite, or outer edge 17. The light dams may be attached and then detached without mak- The opaque covering used on the-front of the panel to define the continuous passageways may comprise a suitable adhesive. tape or a paint, and in either event .it may be applied and later taken oil, with no permanent change and although not shown, itwill be recognized that knurling also may be provided as in the other embodiments of the invention. Slots of the type shown at 35 in' FIG. 5 may be used in any embodiment of the invention to aid in anchoring in strips to the panel.

Itwill thus be seen that the objects set forth above,

among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A display device comprising a light-transmissive panel, a plurality of thin opaque strips mounted on their inner edges and defining a plurality of compartments on the rearsside of said panel, each of said strips having a plurality of cut-away portions along their inner edges to allow passage of light between various of said compartments, each of said compartments being closed on one 7 end by said panel and open on its opposite end;and a made in the basic panel structure, so that the display panel structure-retains its originalflexibility and, economy.

In FIG. 4, the front view of a panel utilizing the inven- I tion, a plurality of unshaded paths 33 represent unmasked,

or visible portions of the panel, while all other portions are masked, by means of opaque tape or paint, preferably usually, of a removable variety. The feet portions 26, 26 of strip edges 16 are shown in phantom in FIG. because they touch the rear face of panel 11, while the cutawayedges along the archwayportions. of the strips are not shown in FIG. 4 because they do not touch front panel 11. Having the cutaway. portions described, the

' strips bear against panel 11 only neartheir intersections with each other, and thus thestrips are shown in FIG.

4 in phantom, as merely a plurality of intersections or crossings. The intersections will be seen to be masked over, so all that is seenare the unshaded paths passing through various compartments and from compartment to compartment through the archways. To form changes in the direction of the illuminable pathways and to terminate same where desired, light dams of the type shown in FIGS. "3 and. 6 may be used, and several such dams 30,30 are shown in FIG. 4 held'in place by the'mounting clips of lamp bulbs 32.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative form of outer opaque strip, and the characteristics of display panels constructed with such alternative strip should be obvious in view of its plurality of lights extending into respective of said corn- 7 partments. I

2. An animated display device for providing variable indications, comprising in combination, a light-transmissive sheet panel mounted for observation from its front side; an interdigitating network of thin strips mounted on their inner edges on the rear side of said panel to provide a plurality of compartments each closed on one end by said panel and open at the other end, said thin strips including a first groupof mutually parallel strips extending in a first direction and a second group of mutually parallel strips extending in a second direction, each of said strips having a plurality of transverse slits partially across their widths, with transverse slits of said first group meshed with transverse slits of said' second group on .theirinner edges against said panel and intersecting 1 with each other to form a plurality of compartments on the rear side of said panel, said stripshaving a plurality of cutaway portions along their inner edges forming uninterrupted passageways to allow light to pass directly between various ofsaid compartments.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said strips are provided with transverse slits partially across their widths, and in; which said evenly between said slits.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said strips are fastened. to said panel by means of allayer of trans of the alternative strip. If the middle foot portion48 is masked over, as well as the end feed portions 26, 26 two parallel continuous. passageways will appear to run through each compartment. Suitable .inner strips for Anchoring holes 21, 21 are shown along the inner edge of the modified strip for improving the bond to panelll,

- use with the strip illustrated in FIG. 5 maybe identical,

except that their transverse slots should extend in from lucent plastic in which the-edges of said strips are embedded.

-6. Apparatus according to claim 3 having opaque coverings on the front side of said panel for defining the edges of said passageways.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which each of said cutaway portions provides a passageway between a single pair of adjacent compartments.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3 including at least one detachable plate means adapted to; be clipped against cutaway portions are spaced detachable plate means against one of said strips and within one of said compartments.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said strips are provided with plural small holes located along the inner edges of said strips, near enough to the inner edges of said strips for said plastic to flow through said holes, thereby to strengthen the bond of said strips to said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Stover Apr. 15, 1919 Decker Apr. 16, 1946 Vozza July 15, 1958 Koch Sept. 13, 1960 

